Destiel Whump One Shot Collection
by Yonahdoxie57
Summary: An exploration of the many ways Dean and Castiel's friendship might evolve into other possible feelings in various situations. Not always a happy ending, No spoilers, No smut, no AUs, all 'in character', each story unique, multiple settings, cameos, and unique points of view. Fluffy whumpage all around! Hurt!Dean Hurt!Cas. Written for enjoyment!
1. 1: A Tree Climbing

My Destiel OneShot Collection

I love writing long detailed whumpage tales about our favorite Supernatural starcrossed almost-lovers in their own universe. But I thought I would challenge myself and write some fantastic one-shots! No smut, no true AUs, each one unique, multiple settings, a few cameos, and different points of view. Just a study in different ways Dean and Castiel might finally figure out they like each other in various situations. Every one-shot in today seris is rated T because I think the show would be rated T if it were a fanfiction and my writing includes blood, violence and swearing just like the show. Lastly, I don't own anything having to do with Supernatural, its plot or beautiful character development.

Enjoy, dear reader!

1: A Tree Climbing

Castiel had confidence in himself, well, sort of. Afterall, the tree was nowhere near the size of other trees he had seen on his vast adventures. He felt compelled to climb it, just to see if he had the strength to do so. So he began determining the best way up the trunk.

Since Cas had lost his angelic grace and became human he felt Dean and Sam were treating him more and more like a fledgling, or rather, in this case, a baby. He couldn't stand for it. What's worse was when he treated himself like a fragile infant. He went for the easy targets when they would take down a vampire nest. He wouldn't get far away enough from the brothers so they would be able to come help if he got cornered in a werewolf situation. He was ashamed, but he never took the front lines when they encountered a witch. He was always at least hiding behind Dean if not Dean and Sam's height.

So, he stormed out of the bunker after a particularly rough conversation with Dean over his coffee only to find himself face to face with the daunting task of climbing a tallest tree he could find. Cas recalled Dean's words from the argument he had just had with him. Dean was trying to say that he just needed time to get stronger. He told Cas he was being too impatient and that he would get better overtime. Cas, regretfully, did not react well.

"Well it's not working!" Cas crossed his arms and humfed.

"What's not working? Waiting?" Dean leaned on the bunker's kitchen table where the coffee sat steaming.

"Yes, that's it exactly."

"Dude, we don't get to control that. You just have to keep working hard at it. Let us help you out." Dean was trying to reason with him gently but Cas was beyond frustrated before the conversation even started.

"Maybe my teachers can't teach such a damned weakling!"

"Cas, no, don't say that about yourself." Dean let one hand loose of the mug and reached across the table to comfort his best friend. Cas slammed his hands on the table and ran out of the kitchen and straight out the front door of the bunker in his pajamas. Dean repeatedly called after him but nothing could stop the self loathing angel from storming out.

After about an hour had passed and Sam had questioned Dean what they were arguing about, Dean decided he had waited long enough and he would go out to look for the fallen angel.

Fallen indeed. Dean walked around the woods that surrounded the bunker and saw Cas laying at the foot of the tallest tree in the area. It was late fall so most of the trees were bare and the ground cover was minimal. Finding the blue gray pajamas wasn't hard for the hunter.

"Cas, no." He whispered to himself at first upon spotting him. "CAS! Jesus, Cas!" Dean yelled as he jumped over dry branches and dead bushes to get to his comrade. Once there, he fell to his knees not minding the dirt and carefully turned Cas upright and curled him into his arms. Castiel's body was cold and his skin felt thin like fresh sheets. Dean felt his body shiver so he didn't have to check his neck to see if he had a pulse. Dean managed to slide his unzipped coat off and lay it over him.

"Hey, buddy, Cas, hey-hey-hey talk to me, please Cas. Why would you sleep out here?" Dean pleaded while he placed a warm hand on Castiel's opposite cheek and lightly tapped. When that didn't work he pulled his hand away and felt the stickiness on his fingertips. There was some mostly dried blood in Cas' hair just behind his temple.

"Cas? What happened? The fuck did you do?!? CAS!!" Dean saw tears in his pajamas and scratches on various places of his body. He was angry now. He looked around frantically to see for any sign of a struggle when he noticed a broken branch nearby. He followed the tree trunk up and up and up to find a whole trail of half broken limbs and sticks hanging by a thread. While Dean's eyes were still upward staring and trying to determine how far Cas fell, it was at least three stories, a weak voice mumbled.

"D...Dean…?" The humanoid angel's eyes were still closed. This brought Dean's thoughts back to the ground and he gripped onto Cas tighter to reground him into reality.

"Cas? Hey-hey, hey buddy…" He started gently but the big brother tone was well on its way. "You okay?" He begged.

"I...I believe so." He blinked his eyes open but squinted the eye on the side with the injury.

"Good. Because I'm gonna pummel you!" Big bro Dean was in full swing as he shook Castiel's shoulders. "The fuck do you think you were doing?!" Cas didn't reply but just looked on confused. "I mean, shit! You're a dumbass you know that?!"

"Yes, Dean." Cas agreed way to easily.

Dean yelled louder now. "No, no, no! Don't you do that! Don't roll over and just take it! You're a fucking leader of angelic armies! You're the beast that can take down archangels and stand in the way of the devil himself! You've saved me countless times. You… You are so damn impressive and you don't even know how much I…" Dean paused to look at Cas' unidentified expression. "How much I feel… intimidated by you."

"Dean, I'm not any of those things." Cas looked away, disappointed.

"You are. Listen, Cas, nothing you ever did was because you were a angel. You did them because you were you. And I really like that about you." Dean calmed down more avoiding direct eye contact.

"Th-thank you, Dean." Castiel's voice. "I guess that is partly true."

"And stop going around trying to prove yourself or some shit!" Dean demanded. Castiel was surprised he figured out what he was doing up in the tree. "Promise me you won't ever do stupid shit like this again! You got it?"

Cas looked ashamed. "I promise Dean. How did you find me?"

"Because I know you." Dean answered quickly and turned a little red in the face.

"Dean, are you alright? Your face to becoming reddened." Castiel sounded like an angel again.

"Shit. No. Yes! I'm fine!" Dean yelled. Dean's mind was traveling a mile a minute. The thoughts that he normally suppressed about his best friend boiled up for the hour he waited for him to return to the bunker. Sam had to talk him down from going to look for him right away. Maybe if he had Cas wouldn't have gotten hurt. So now, fresh guilt mixed with years of unresolved emotions and repressed thoughts.

"Dean? What's wrong?" Cas leaned up closer to Dean's face. Dean tucked his chin to his own chest and squeezed his eyes shut but a few hot tears escaped anyway. "... Dean. You're, crying."

"I...I can't lose you. Cas, you can't… You gotta stop getting hurt and dying or lost. Please, just stop. I just can't do this." Dean sniffed.

"I'm sorry Dean. I didn't know you worried this much. Please don't cry on my behalf."

"I care about you, Cas. Like a lot." Dean admitted with closed eyes. Cas leaned his aching head and planted a sweet, chaste kiss on Dean's cheek. This made the hunter open his eyes immediately.

"The hell was that?" Cas felt Dean's body go stiff.

"I'm, um, I'm sorry. I just… I've had a strong fondness for you for some time now I thought it was an appropriate time to… To perhaps show you and you were upset and crying and said you care about me and I-" Castiel went on rambling and Dean had loosened his grip on the fallen angel. Dean's gaze was blank while more thoughts and words ran through his mind like a wildfire when he decided to jump into it before he lost his chance. He grabbed Cas' jaw and went in for a strong hard kiss. Castiel's rambling was cut off mid sentence and he was completely shocked. Dean didn't stop until Cas began to melt in his arms. Then Dean gently pulled away still holding Cas' head in his hand.

Neither spoke. Just stared at one another with a mix of confusion and contentment written across their features. After a few moments, Dean stood up and pulled Cas to his feet as well. Dean turned and motioned for Cas to ride piggyback. Cas tentatively got on.

Dean walked back to the bunker while Cas happily rested his head on Dean's shoulder. Cas couldn't see his face but he could tell Dean was smiling and couldn't wait to get back home.

Soon enough Dean kicked in the bunker front door and Sam looked up to see their smiles. He didn't ask any questions like, 'What happened?' or 'Is Cas okay?' not even 'Why are you so happy?'. Instead Sam just went back to reading his book, now with a knowing grin. Dean just marched right on by with Cas cuddling into the back of his neck, almost purring like a cat until he opened his eyes and saw Sam sitting there.

"Oh, uh, hi Sam." He stammered. Cas moved to wiggle out of Dean's grasp, but Dean held on tighter and interrupted before anything else could be said.

"Shut-up, Cas." He happily ordered and just kept walking.

Hello, dear reader! For every comment I receive I will write another story. You can also request more fluff, whump, or certain situations. Let me know what you like!


	2. 2: Copious Amounts of Green Alcohol

This one was inspired by my mother's dislike of how St. Patrick's Day is just an excuse to get piss poor drunk. I thought we might enjoy seeing Cas' opinion of the holiday from his point of view. Enjoy, Dear reader!

2\. Copious Amounts

of Green Alcohol

Dean and Sam had explained to me how most humans celebrate the holiday called St. Patrick's Day before forcing me into the backseat of the Impala and parking at the local 'watering hole' for some green tinted alcohol. Dean was wearing some kind of T-shirt that invited others to pinch him and Sam had worn one of his greener plaid button up shirts. They gave me a green colored tie to switch out with my normal blue one. I didn't want to but they insisted as it was the customary color on this the feast of St. Patrick. While Dean chugged down his first of many alcoholic beverages, what he called 'Irish car bombs', I inquired as to the importance of the color green for Saint Patrick.

"Dude, I don't know." Dean belched after finished his drink.

When Sam had finished his chugging just moments after Dean, he gave a helpful response. "It's because St. Patrick used a green clover to explain to the pagans in Scotland how the Holy Trinity worked." Then Dean had placed a second green concoction along with another tiny glass next to my first, that I had not inbibbed yet, and also to himself and his brother.

Together they clinked the smaller glass into the larger one and quickly gulped it down. They seemed to be competing for the quickest completion.

Then Dean danced with some of the females for one song length only to come back and purchase more alcohol. It was unnecessary but Dean implored me to "catch up" and drink my first two beverages then join them in their race with the third. I think I may have exceeded the normal human rate of consumption when I drank all three before they each finished their single drinks. It was then when a particularly brightly green dressed female grabbed my tie and pulled me closer to the tall speakers that emitted what could barely pass as music, even for this era.

That was when these events started to become more…complicated.

Right when there was a large group of females that surrounded me and began rubbing on me in time with the 'music' that was when someone else grabbed my tie again to control my movements. This time it was Dean.

"Sorry, ladies he's spoken for." He called over the music with a friendly smile.

The bright green female moved between Dean and I expertly halting my retreat and said. "By who? You?"

I just looked to Dean because I didn't understand what he meant that I was already 'spoken for'. Dean was frozen and his face had the look of shock. Where was his wit? What couldn't he answer? Perhaps the alcohol was impairing his judgement but he let loose my tie and raised his hands in some sort of surrender. I was through perplexed by this chain of events. As the females rejoiced in their victory over me I watched Dean's facial expressions while he sat at the bar with Sam. He stopped drinking the green concoction item and switched to a bottle of stronger liquor and paid the bartender to keep it. Every time I glanced at him he was already looking at me. I'm not sure he ever stopped.

Some time later Dean left the bar and Sam came to retrieve me from the dancing females more successfully than Dean.

"Dean's pretty sick I think we should take him home. Can you drive?" Sam questioned me easily enough but I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

I voiced my concern that I didn't think that Dean would want me driving his beloved vehicle but Sam explained that his blood alcohol content was so high that he didn't have enough wherewithal to notice. When we left the establishment, much to the dismay of the green female, we found Dean vomiting onto the asphalt a few yards away from the Impala. I went to him and helped him to his feet.

"Cas? Cas! You came back!" Dean cried gripping into my outer coat. "Don't leave me like that again, dude! Don't dance with girls. Especially that one. She was so mean!" Dean began to cry and leaned into the shoulder and hugged me closely. I would be lying if I said I felt uncomfortable there. I enjoyed moments when Dean would embrace me. Even though he was intoxicated. While he embraced me and cried softly I took the opportunity to ask Sam my burning question.

"Sam."

"Yup." Sam murmured, he was barely standing up straight himself.

"What does one mean when they say about another that they are 'spoken for'?"

"Just that they're already with someone. Like they have a …romantic friend that they are romantic with and like boyfriend/girlfriend with, like, uh, they already have a romantic partner in their life and shouldn't be doing stuff with other people." Sam managed out.

While his answer wasn't as concise as normal I managed to piece together Dean's erratic emotions of the evening to this conclusion: He didn't want me to dance with those women because HE considered himself my romantic partner. I had to test my theory.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Shall I go dance with those women again?"

"No, Cas! No! Anything but that! I can't stand to watch that anymore! Please!" He started sobbing into my coat again as he gripped the lapels.

"But why not?" I inquired.

Sam spoke. "Cas, it's because he likes you and he can't tell you about it."

I looked down at the creature attached to me and simply admired him. Right then, I thought he was as cute as a little honey bee. I don't think he heard what his brother said since his sobbing didn't stop until he suddenly pushed me away and turned to vomit again. That was when a barely clothed female, who was walking amongst the parked cars, bent near him and spoke to Dean.

"Oh no, honey! Sweetheart, are you okay?" She also seemed intoxicated. I didn't care for her friendly tone or the terms she used instead of his name. I spoke up.

"No, he is already spoken for. I will care for him." I spoke confidently hoping this would work against this particular female. She stood up, smiled, wished me luck and walked away.

Sam started laughing and he clutched his stomach, perhaps feeling nauseous himself. I paid no attention to it and I placed Sam in the backseat and buckled him in. Then I placed Dean in the front passenger seat. I buckled Dean too but somehow he still managed to lean far enough over to rest his head on my shoulder and sleep most of the way back to the bunker.

The following afternoon I found Dean in the kitchen of the bunker pouring a cup of coffee with Sam sitting at the table with his head resting on its surface.

"I'm telling you man, that bartender was adding something wrong to those drinks. Like maybe something other than the green food coloring, you know what I mean?" Dean spoke softly. Neither man seemed to notice my presence but I asked anyway.

"I need to tell you something."

"God! Tone it down." Dean complained.

So I spoke at a lower decibel. "It's just that. I've met St. Patrick and he did not consume copious amounts of green alcoholic beverages during his mission. And I was wondering how this became a widespread tradition."

"Cas, it's too early." Sam complained.

"And Dean, there's something else we need to discuss about-" Dean cut me off.

"Listen, my head is killing me and I need to try to remember what the hell happened to me last night."

"But I-"

"Shut-up, Cas. You weren't even there."

Hello, dear reader! For every comment I receive I will write another story. You can also request more fluff, whump, or certain situations. Let me know what you like!


	3. 3: Cockatrice Flu

Cockatrice Flu

Team Free Will received a tip about a potentially supernatural beast living in an abandoned barn with reports of daredevil kids coming back with limbs missing claiming that they had turned to stone.

"It's a basilisk." Dean said smartly over Sam's news reading.

"No. The kids said it was more like a chicken." Sam stated and looked up to see Cas and Dean's reactions.

Cas didn't miss a beat. "A cockatrice, then."

"Bingo, Cas!" Sam explained.

"A cock-a-poo-what-now?" Dean looked unbelievably.

Sam filled in his less studious brother. "They're a lot like a basilisk, Dean, just they have a chicken front and a reptilian rear. I think they basically have the same powers, right Cas?" Sam bent the screen of his laptop half down. Why search the web when you could go straight to the source of a recently fallen angel, your personal walking encyclopedia. Afterall, it was the angels' main purpose to watch over the creatures of the Earth.

"That's correct. Full, mutual, eye contact can turn you to stone, unless otherwise deflected, for example with a mirror. Their saliva is also highly toxic. However, I'm not certain how these children survived. Perhaps, this beast is not at full strength." Cas informed ending with that cute head tilt.

Team free will traveled via the Impala to an abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere, Texas to defeat what they learn is a newborn cockatrice that had been laid long ago. They wore simple sunglasses to keep them from the effects of the piercing eyes. Sam got attached to the fledgling easily and got too close thinking that maybe it might be friendly but it spits in his face. It burned him like a pepper spray would. Dean dragged the confused and momentarily blinded Sam out of the barn and to safety. He came back to help Cas when the cockatrice charged at Dean, who wasn't paying attention, and Cas lunged at Dean pushing him away. Then the cockatrice dug its claws into Cas' chest through his shirt mounting an attack on his face, pecking wildly. Dean frantically tried to help and finally is able to grab it by the neck, yank it off of Cas and cut its head off with his machete the way a farmer would butcher a chicken for dinner.

"Cas, you still with me, bud?" Dean says staring down at the mythical beast, pleased to exact his revenge for hurting his family. He turns around to see Cas out of breath and finding the blood from the scratches all over his face. "Dude, you look awful. Heal up, and let's go get Sammy taken care of too." Cas doesn't reply past a few wincing noises looking at the blood on his hands.

"I...I can't. Dean, I don't think I can heal these wounds." Cas said with an unusual amount of panic in his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think it'll work since these wounds are from an ancient mythical creature. It hurts me, Dean." Cas looked up to Dean confused. His friend was now standing in front the angel with a strong supporting hand on his shoulder.

Dean didn't mean to sound uncaring but he blurted out. "What about Sammy?"

"I can try…" Castiel answered unconfidently.

After Cas couldn't heal Sam, Dean went to the car to get some holy water to wash Sam's face. It worked wonders for the red burn marks and Sam's eyes stopped stinging like hell fire. The whites the his eyes were still red however but the worst was part, or so they thought.

The holy water also healed up Castiel's bleeding marks on his face easily enough.

"Well! That settles that!" Dean exclaimed victory and clapped his hands together wiping off dirt that wasn't there. The boys piled into the Impala and traveled back to the bunker.

When they get back to the bunker Dean decided to park the car in the the Men of Letters garage. He off handed mentions something about the car needing a good wash but says he's too hungry at the moment. Dean enjoyed whipping up a dinner of crusty bread covered with thick gravy that coated thin sliced steak with the perfect amount of pepper. Sam went to go take a "decontamination" shower in the meantime. Cas decided to do Dean a favor and stayed behind in the garage to wash the beloved black vehicle. Castiel was half way through covering the sky black shine with luscious velvety bubbles, when Dean came down the hall calling the peruvial dinner bell. Sam was just getting out of the shower and yelled back he'd be there in a minute. Even though he didn't need it, Dean always made food for Cas too. One time he told Cas that 'family eats together' as if it was a rule. So Cas happily obeyed from then on. Dean called out again to Cas from down the hall but Cas couldn't hear over his favorite mixed tape that he was playing from an old boombox that was kept on the mechanic's shelf in the garage. Dean could hear some muffled music so he continued till he found its source. He grinned from ear to ear finding what could possibly be one of the best sights he could have hoped to find.

His secret little crush without his dress jacket and trench coat with his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows and tie tail tucked into a space between buttons lower on his abdomen, washing his precious Impala. Cas didn't notice him and continued lightly singing along with his favorite song while he moved around the suds. Cas came around the front of the car and turned his back to Dean. He liked this view too.

"You've been learning, oh oh baby I been learning. All them good times baby, baby..." and Cas then hummed along to the rest of the chorus only to come back at the reprise stronger voiced "I'm gonna GIVE YOU MY LOVE, AHHH OOOHH!"

Dean couldn't stand to smile at him from the sidelines any longer. He knew if Sammy caught him ogling at the pool boy there would be hell to pay. Dean walked confidently over with a plan in mind.

"I knew you'd like this song!" He called over the music. Cas turned around swiftly startled, with the sponge in his hand and splattered soap straight across Dean's T-shirt.

"I'm sorry!" Cas yelled out. He dropped the sponge in the bucket, skuddled over to the bench, grabbed a dry cloth, removed the mixtape carefully placing it back into his pocket for safe keeping and came back to offer the cloth to Dean to dry off. He apologized again "I'm sorry, Dean. I hope you're not angered. I just wanted to pull my own weight around here and help with the chores. This is something I can do. Is this okay?"

"Okay?" Dean paused and looked at Cas' worried face. "Fuck yeah! This is great! Can I help too? Dinner is getting cold but I can reheat it easily enough. We shouldn't let the soap dry on the paint."

Cas smiled wide but tried to conceal it. "Yes, yes of course!" The two worked well together, quickly completing the work and finished by towel drying. Whenever Dean would start humming more of the tune again "A Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin while they worked, Cas' ears turned red in embarrassment and Dean revelled in how cute it made him look so he continued on with the teasing till they were done. Especially the part that said " I'm gonna give you my love ahh, ooohh".

"Thanks, buddy." Dean thanked while he tossed the damp towel into the basket. "That was...really nice."

"It was my pleasure, Dean. Anything I can do to help you." Cas stood next to him landing his own damp towel into the appropriate basin. Dean allowed Cas to interrupt his personal space yet again. They stood there together for a moment until Cas' face seemed to contort a little. He moved a hand and placed it over his stomach.

"What is it?" Dean noticed there was something wrong immediately.

"There is an odd sort of feeling in my abdomen." Cas was confused.

"Yeah, I kinda get that around you too, Cas." Dean clapped a hand on Cas' back and smiled. Then he turned away and took a few steps. "It's actually something I've been putting off telling you about. It's just that I don't exactly understand it. You're my best friend, Cas, our brother. I hope you know that. " Dean turned back to see if Cas was following what he was saying only to find him curled down clutching his stomach now with both arms wrapped around him.

"Cas? Geez! What... what's wrong?" Dean put an arm around an unanswering Cas who heaved and grunted in pain as Dean took his arm over his own shoulder and behind his head to help Cas down the hall to the infirmary. On the way, Dean repeatedly reassured the angel that everything would be okay. He managed to get the angel onto a cot in the infirmary easily enough when Cas grabbed Dean by the shirt just before he pulled away.

"SAM." Cas breathed.

"Yeah, he can help. I'll go get him!" Dean turned to leave but Cas gripped onto his shirt tighter.

"Cocatrice…. Poison." Cas managed to get out one word at a time between the waves of pain that pulsed from his stomach. "SAM." He said again urgently.

"Oh, God. Sammy too?" Dean understood now. Cas nodded, shot his head back in pain and let go.

Dean rushed down the hall slipping a little around the corner on his wet soles from washing the car. "Saaahm?!" He yelled. When he got there he busted down the door to find Sam laying in a fetal position next to his dresser having only managed to put on some plaid pajama bottoms after his shower before the shooting pain hit him too. Dean scooped up his moose of a brother and got him to the infirmary too.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." Dean whispered to himself running his hand back through his hair while he watched the two beings he cared most about in this world writhe in agony and muffle their cries of pain. When something Sam screamed out made him jump.

"DEAN! A BOOK!" Sam yelled. "CURE!"

"Oh, right! I'll find it! Just um, wait here! Okay?"

"Just, GO!" One of the two yelled back. Dean couldn't tell who it was because the words were yelled and he was already running out of the room.

Needless To Say, Dean was not at home in the files of the Men of Letters library. He had never looked for a topic under duress and without Sam to help. About fifteen minutes later of tossing incorrect books on the floor Dean found a file from the Men of Letters with a potential cure for a basilisk poisoning if the person hadn't died outright. It was a tea made from boiling holy water and steeping mistletoe along with a few other ingredients that Dean knew they all had in stock in the infirmary. Dean knew mistletoe was poisonous on its own but figured it couldn't as bad as the poison of a mythical beast. Dean ran back to the infirmary book in hand to go make the tea.

"Guys! I got it! I think...it should work!" But he came into a totally different scene. Sam had passed out but Cas was awake and breathing ever so lightly.

"Sam?" Dean dropped the book on the floor and ran over to his brother's bedside. "Sammy!" He shook his shoulder and caused beads of sweat to fall from his brother's face.

"Dean?" Cas whispered.

"Cas!" Dean spun around to face his angel. Dean reached to touch his brow and brushed back his sweat drenched hair from off his forehead. "Hey, how ya feelin'?" Dean begged him to answer.

Cas sung weakly. "I've been yer-yearning… Away, wayyy down deep inside…"

"Cas." Dean tried to help him focus by placing his hand on his wet cheek and angeled Cas to look up at him.

"Ah honey..." He mumbled. Dean shook his head and squinted his eyes in worry, Cas was delirious and probably had a fever. He was singing lyrics from the song he was just playing in the garage.

"I'll take care of you, buddy. I'll make this better. I'll make you better, promise." Dean said calmly and got up to make the tea.

Once the tea was ready, Dean was able to get Sam to drink it and then had to coax Cas into drinking it too.

"I wanna be your backdoor man..." Cas sang though mumbles while turning away from Dean.

"Cas, Castiel, no. Stop it. This will make it better. Stop singing that song. Just drink!" Dean struggled against the weak wiggling of the angel. Dean tried to recall what his mother used to do to get him to take medicine. So he sang a calming song, he knew Cas would know, to get him to relax and drink the tea. He picked a verse from Stairway to Heaven. He whisper-sang it gruffly and once he started Cas calmed and stared at him with that perplexed look on his face.

"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road your on…"

Cas then allowed Dean to administer the tea cure into his mouth. Cas mumbled as he began to fall asleep the remaining part of the verse.

"...and it makes me wonder... Your head is humming and it won't go. In case you don't know the Piper's calling you to join him." Cas drifted off to sleep and Dean smiled.

"When will you tell him, Dean?" Sam spoke clearly. Dean twisted around quickly to see his little brother flushed but sitting up a little on his elbows.

"Sammy! You okay? How you feelin'?" Dean asked excitedly.

"I'm fine now. I knew you would find a cure. But you didn't answer my question."

"What, what are you talkin' about?"

"When are you, Dean Winchester, going to tell Cas that you like him?" Sam had a stern look on his face.

That was when Cas interrupted them, barely audible, and sang another line from the song.

"The Piper's calling you to join him…"

"Shhhh. Shut up Cas, just rest." Dean whispered as he ran his fingers through Cas' thick hair in full view of his brother's grin.


	4. 4: Well Wishes

4\. Well Wishes

"Cas?" Dean mumbled.

"Dean? Thank God, you're awake! How do you feel?" Cas asked frantically.

"Where are we?" Dean moaned. He reached up to his head. "My head is killin' me."

"You hit your head when we fell down here. You don't recall?" Cas stated matter of factly.

"Where are we?" Dean asked again.

"We're in the well." Cas stated.

"What the hell?" Dean finally realized he was standing in cold water up to his chest being held up from behind by Castiel. He turned to be face to face with the angel. "I still don't know where we are. I...I don't remember anything. Where's Sammy? Where is this well? What happened? Are we even on a hunt?" Dean asked quickly.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything. What is the last information you can recall?" Cas reassured him.

"... Driving. Yeah I was driving. You were in the passenger seat… Sam, didn't come with us… There was a...uh...a ghost town… that we were going to take care of." Dean pieced together a photographic memory of them riding in the Impala together.

"Yes, you told Sam he could not accompany us because of what happened last time with Azazel. This is the well in the ghost town of Cold Oak, South Dakota. Where Azazel gathered the gifted children, including Sam, for a battle to the death." Cas paused and checked to see if Dean was following. After a head nod of approval he continued.

"A vengeful spirit pushed us against this well and we both fell. As I said when we entered this town, my abilities are weakened here. There's just too much interference and pure evil. I've been waiting for you to wake so that we might climb out. I, or rather, Jimmy's body does not have the appropriate upper body strength to both scale a rock wall and carry your dead weight. I couldn't leave you because the water depth was too high and you would have drowned. I'm sorry, Dean, I'm so damned helpless without my powers."

"Woah, okay, okay, I got it. No need to put yourself down.

"But-"

"We all have bad days. Forget about it. We can figure this out. So, no ghosts have attacked us down here?"

"That's correct. They seem to avoid it all together. It may be holy water, I can't tell, normally I can tell." Cas frowned.

"Dude, it's okay." Dean reassured him by placing a hand to his shoulder.

"I couldn't heal you. You were hurt and bleeding and unconscious and I didn't know what to do! I panicked, Dean!" Cas' eyes grew wider and looked into Dean's. "You got hurt because of me and I couldn't save you. Please forgive me!" Cas gripped onto both of Dean's shoulders and bent his head down between them and seemed to maybe be getting himself into a panic attack.

"Cas… hey, hey buddy. What's going on with you? It's okay. I'm okay now."

"No, it's not. I don't want you to die, Dean. I couldn't bear it." Cas' breathing was shallow and quick.

"Alrighty, deep breaths." Dean tried to show him.

"I need you to stay. You were unconscious for so long I didn't know what to do but so desperately needed you to be okay. Please stay with me! Stay with me forever!" Cas' words grew in volume and his breathing more erratic.

"Ok, ok buddy. You got it. Just calm down. Okay, calm down." Cas began to sob and Dean took him in for a hug. "Geez, what's with the water works?"

"It's… I normally block emotions easily." Cas heaved in a breath. "But with this interference…I'm afraid I'm being flooded by years and years of thoughts and suppressed emotions." Cas cried into Dean's shoulder while his friend patted his back.

"Suppressed? Don't do that to yourself buddy. Listen, you're on team free will now! You don't have to follow angel rules. Don't keep shit to yourself. It'll eat you up. I know. Okay? So whatever you got bottled up, just pop the cork already. Got it?"

"Really?" Cas removed himself from the embrace and sniffed. "You won't be upset with me?"

"Really! You're my brother! You can tell me anything." Dean grinned from ear to ear not knowing what he had just agreed to.

Without another moment of contemplation Cas grabbed Dean by his jacket and forced a hard kiss square on the lips for about two seconds. Cas' eyes were squeezed painfully tight while Dean's were wide with surprise.

After just two seconds of forced lip contact Dean was glad that Cas pulled away. He didn't look happy and Castiel noticed right away.

"Did I do it wrong?" Cas begged. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't been able to make sense of why I enjoy our time together so much. Being stuck down here made it clear to me. I think I am attracted to you Dean Winchester."

There was a long pause till Dean spoke. "Did you hit your head too?" Cas didn't offer a reply but Dean saw him deflate. "C'mon, let's just get outta here and get you back to normal."

"You… You think this is just because of the evil presence?"

"Must be. Let's get goin'." Dean was already planning his grips on the slippery rock face looking up and down the curved wall.

"Right, must be." Cas sighed. "But Dean, I-"

"Just shut-up, Cas. Don't bring it up again." Dean commanded in a deeper voice.

"Of course Dean, whatever you say." Cas replied in monotone as he tried to keep his tears to himself.


	5. 5: Avalanche!

5\. Avalanche!

Castiel and Dean go of to take out a rogue witch in Tennessee who had taken up residence in the Blue Ridge Mountains and picking off solo hikers one by one. They had help from a ranger who knew about monsters and heard about the Winchesters. The hunt was going perfectly fine until the witch started using this skill of throwing out ectoplasm from her hands. Some witches have fire, ice, others electricity, but this weirdo had ectoplasm. She was practicing some seriously dark stuff. Both the hunter and the angel were hit by the gross stuff and while it was utterly disgusting for both, it immediately had serious effects on Cas. He lost all his angelic powers before he could even stand up from the blast.

"Oh! I see! What do we have here?!? Could you be a fallen little angel, my dear?" The witch teased after landing another blow that knocked Cas back against the wall. The second blow to his strength to stand and he just slumped down to the floor.

"CAS!" Dean yelled from across the small back room of the witch's hovel. Cas didn't reply. He only gripped at his chest as if suffering a heart attack.

"What did you do to him, bitch!?!" Dean shot off a witch killing bullet from his favorite gun and landed it in its target. She fell back onto her alter then Dean charged and grabbed her by both arms violently shaking her in her final moments. "TELL ME!" Dean demanded.

"No… power…" She whispered as she died.

He tossed back the corpse running over to Cas. "CAS! Hey hey you alright? C'mon Cas!"

"Dean, it's… It's draining me. My grace... it's almost gone. I can't fight it!"

"It's gonna be okay, I'll get you outta here. We'll fix you up. No worries. Just hang in there for me okay? Let's get this shit off."

Dean started to remove his own jacket and unbuttoning the plaid shirt he had on. When he saw Cas struggling to get his trench coat off he stopped to help him first. Dean had to take everything off except for the thin white T-shirt Cas sometimes wore under everything else. Dean stripped down to his black T-shirt and jeans. He tossed the gross upper body clothing aside but noticed the sad look in his friend's eyes.

Dean reassured him. "Don't worry, we'll wash it really really good. With holy water if we have to." Dean understood that Cas loved his trench coat not to different from the way a human child was emotionally attached at his Teddy Bear.

Cas nodded. Then Dean took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe the splatters of ectoplasm off of Cas' neck and face.

"I'm gonna find some water, hang on." He got up and stomped out of the room and found nothing. Then he remembered there was a pump outside, in front of the house. He grabbed a nearby bucket, gave it a few pumps and took the ice cold water to his angel.

"You clean that gunk off, I'm gonna radio Ranger Willy." Dean informed and went back outside to get a good signal on the 2-way walkie talkie. Soon enough the ranger made his way back from his safe zone to pick up the boys in his large four wheeler and all got back safely to the mini ranger station where they left the Impala. He had given Cas an emergency blanket that looked like cheap aluminium foil but was actually very very warm. Dean refused one, he said Cas needed it more. He did take a poncho to wrap up their 'ectoplasmed' coats and shirts to wash later but for now Dean tossed them in the trunk with his gun and the rest of his gear from the hunt. Ranger Willy thanked them again, wished them well and sent them down the narrow muddy dirt road to get back to civilization.

After about fifteen minutes or so, Dean was focusing on the slick, snow and ice covered dirt road/path, the only way down the mountain ridge, he finally had a moment to ask. "You doing okay, buddy?" Dean looked over to Castiel who was wrapped up in the foil blanket like a burrito.

"Is this one of those instances when you actually want the truth or just a casual response." He asked, honestly not knowing the correct answer.

"The truth, Cas. Always the truth with me, okay?"

"Alright then. My answer is no, I'm not okay. I don't feel right without my coat. That ectoplasm affected my grace to the point where I can barely feel it. I think I'm beginning to feel hunger, pain and…" he stopped.

"And what? What is it?" Dean begged.

"...My nose is cold." Cas said, embarrassed.

Dean chuckled. "I'll turn the heat up for you, dude." Dean reached down to turn the dial up and that's when he hit the black ice. That's when Dean lost control of the car. That's when the front tire of the Impala caught the edge of road and pulled the car off down a steep hill. That's when, after sliding down a few hundred feet the Impala came to a sudden stop after the hood couldn't plow through the deep snow anymore. That's when all the commotion caused an avalanche that brought heavy snow down the raveen burying anything in its path under several feet of the white stuff. That's when the snow fall picked up and within another half an hour all the Impala's tire tracks were covered and forgotten.

Castiel didn't know what that blaring sound was. He couldn't open his eyes to see. He tried to move, speak, anything, but he couldn't. He struggled and pushed past unconsciousness to discover the blaring sound was the horn of the Impala being pushed by Dean's chest as he lay slumped over on the wheel. Cas reached over, gripped Dean's shoulder and managed to pull him away leaving is head tilted straight up, looking to the roof of the car but passed out.

"Dean." Cas tried to say but found his throat dry and horse. He swallowed hard and tried again, louder. "Dean!" With no reply. It was dark. He couldn't see clearly. There was only the light from the radio controls. But the radio itself wasn't making a sound. He unbuckled himself and moved closer to the hunter. He leaned in and saw the blood that was stuck on Dean's face having come down from the gash on the top of his forehead. It must have hit the top of the wheel. Then, Cas' memory came flooding back. They lost control and slid off the road. But he didn't recall what happened next or where the car ended up. Or why it was so dark. He looked out the windows but they were all fogged up. He used his bare hand to wipe away some condensation from the windshield. Snow. Tons of thick, packed, cold snow.

"Oh, no." Cas said aloud.

At that, Dean moaned a little.

"Dean? Dean! Please." He touched Dean's bloody forehead with two finders. He then closed his eyes and tried to push whatever grace he could to help Dean. He felt as if he was in a thin black tunnel and could barely see a blue-green light at the other end trying to also reach him but then the tunnel collapsed and Castiel shot open his eyes. It didn't work. His grace was far too weak to reach Dean's soul. Cas looked on at Dean thoroughly concerned for his well being. He recalled times when the brothers would put packets of ice on their wounds, especially head wounds, and thought maybe if he could get a little snow that might help. He carefully rolled the passenger window down an inch and used his fingers to scoop some into his palm. He packed it together, closed the window and scooted back over to Dean crinkling the warm emergency blanket that was still loosely around him. Castiel tentatively placed the snowball onto Dean's forehead making the water that melted off his brow drip down and mix with the tacky blood that trailed down his exposed neck. Cas noticed Dean's Adam's apple bob up and down followed by another soft moan. It seemed to be working. Cas moved the melting snow around slowly across Dean's brow. He wiped away the blood with his fingertips and didn't let it fall into Dean's eyes. He slowly did this till the snow had melted completely.

"Dean? Please wake up, Dean."

Just then Dean took in a quick breath through his nose followed by a louder moan before he whispered "Cas?"

"Yes! Dean, it's me! Wake up, Dean! You have to wake up, please!"

Dean's head was still tilled straight back on the top of the seat. When he heard Cas' voice he turned his face toward the sound and then felt his body fall over. He fell into Cas' tinfoiled arms. Cas didn't notice till Dean's shoulder hit him but something in his side gave him a sharp pain so he tried to sit Dean up. He was barely conscious and needed to lean heavily on the angel.

"Dean, we're in trouble." Cas took a moment to wince at the fresh pain in his side. "We're buried in the snow."

"Where's Sammy?" Dean mumbled into Cas' white T-shirt.

"He's not here. He didn't come. He was researching the effects of a blood moon on werewolves and you said you and I could handle the witch. Remember?" Cas sighed. "You really have to stop injuring your head so much. Hematoma after hematoma is not healthy."

"You're not healthy." Dean mumbled a sassy but weak comeback, but Cas knew that meant he was coming around. "Wait…" Dean pushed up and grabbed Cas' shoulder with his left hand for support. His head wobbled slightly. "Cas… The witch… She hit you with something bad. The bad stuff. Are you okay?" Dean sounded drunk but he was getting better.

Cas couldn't help but grin. Dean Winchester, before he's concerned about himself he checks on his brother and his angel first. He could be bleeding out on the floor but it wouldn't matter. He would always put his family first. Castiel admired that about him so much.

"I'll manage." Cas said trying to keep the mystery pain a secret. He didn't often feel pain as a human would and he assumed it was probably nothing.

"No no no it was bad. I was super worried, I remember being so worried. Tell me the truth, dammit." He demanded, gripping Castiel's shirt tighter around his shoulder and finally making eye contact with him.

"I'm more worried about you."

"Me? I'm fuckin' fine, until the car stops spinning anyway… Oh shit! We we crashed, oh baby what did I do to you?" Dean turned to rub the wheel of the Impala lovingly. He felt the blood stick to his fingers and then he touched the gash on his head, making the connection. He looked over to Cas lost and upset.

Cas sweetly reassured him in the same tone Dean had used earlier when his trench coat got ruined. "I'll help you fix her up once we survive this, okay?" He moved his right hand to clutch his aching left side and grunted after his reply.

"Let me see you, are you sure you're alright?" Dean moved his hand away and started to lift his white shirt without warning.

"Dean, please." Cas struggled against him but couldn't hold back his wincing.

"Jesus, Cas! This is not okay!" Dean looked over Cas' body with increasing concern. There was dark bruising all along his side. He could see the place where his seatbelt held him back. "Okay, I need you hold your breath and I need to push down. It's going to hurt."

"Must we?" Cas asked since Dean's touching was already hurting him.

"Dammit Cas, do as I say." Dean commanded in a deeper tone. This time Cas listened and weakly held his breath. As Dean pressed down methodically and Cas yelled through clenched teeth. When he stopped Cas was left breathing heavily which caused a fresh burst of agony with every breath.

"You don't just have bruised or cracked ribs but I think one is at least actually broken. First that witch tossed you into the wall, then this happening. You're lucky it didn't puncture your lung or your heart, dude. What a shitty time to go human on me."

"What does that mean?" Cas' breathing was calming down.

"One, you're lucky to be alive right now. Two, we gotta get you to a hospital stat. Three, you shouldn't move too much." Dean sounded sure of himself.

"Dean, I hardly feel like I'm going to die. I'm just not used to feeling pain like a human."

"Dude!" Dean held up one finger. "I've watched so much Dr. Sexy, M.D. it's not even funny. I know what I'm talking about."

"That hardly makes you medical professional." Cas retorted.

"Okay, alright, fine. It… It happened to me once, when I was a kid. The doctor said I was real lucky."

"What happened? Were you hunting?"

"Nah, it…" Dean paused and looked up at Cas second guessing what he was about to say. "It… was my dad. I screwed up on a hunt. I missed a shot I shouldn't have missed. And later, dad… Well, he was drunk...so it doesn't really matter."

"Dean, what happened?" Cas asked calmly, coaxing him to continue sharing.

"He taught me a lesson. With his fists… and….his steel toed boots."

"Dean… No, that's horrible." Cas' eyebrows knit together.

"Yeah, it's only because I wouldn't stop coughing up blood that little Sammy snuck me out while Dad was passed out and got me to a clinic by the motel we were staying at. The doc didn't ask many questions and she didn't ask for insurance or money or nothing. To this day I don't know what Sammy told her. But she said the broken bone pieces from my rib was tearing up my insides. She said I could've died. Me and Sam stayed at her clinic for a few days, maybe a week. Come to think of it, that was the last time I ever got seriously throttled by the old man." Dean saw Cas' worried face and smiled. "It was a long time ago. Doesn't matter."

"No." Cas replied strongly. "The only thing that doesn't matter is the fact that it happened a long time ago. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I'm so sorry that happened to you, Dean. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to help you deal with that time in your life."

"Thanks, Dr. Phil. I'm fine, really." Dean smiled. "Let's see what we can do about this situation, huh?"

"Alright."

Dean fussed around the car, even hoping into the backseat at one point. He thought about tearing through the seats but it wouldn't help much, there was nothing that could help them get a signal out or safely dig out all the snow on top of them. Dean had completely forgotten about the walkie-talkie he forgot to give back to the ranger sitting in his bag in the trunk. Dean resolved that there wasn't anything they could do except hope that Sammy was worried about them and maybe someone saw them careen off the road.

"I hate to admit it, but there isn't much we can do." Dean finally admitted and settled down into his seat behind the wheel. Dean shivered so he rubbed his hands over his bare arms for a little warmth via friction. Cas started to remove the emergency blanket from himself but Dean insisted, again that he should keep it and try not to move.

"I'm okay. You're not used to being cold. I'm fine. Just get some rest, hopefully someone will come to the rescue soon enough. I'm seriously late for my check in with Sammy." Dean tried to sound hopeful.

"But the chances of them finding where we are buried is low." Cas said plainly.

"Thanks, Spock." Dean grinned. "Listen, I'm tired. I need to close my eyes for a few minutes." Dean leaned his head back in the seat, crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"That's because you have a concussion."

"Whatever, doc." Dean yawned.

"But Dean,-" Cas stopped because Dean was already sleeping. Cas decided that perhaps some rest to conserve oxygen was a good idea so he closed his eyes too.

Later, Cas woke to find Dean still sleeping. He reached over to wake the hunter and he was shocked at how cold Dean's arm felt.

"Dean, wake up." But Dean didn't wake up. He didn't move. "Dean!" Cas shook him hard. He reached up to his face and could make out the dark purple color of Dean's lips. 'How long has it been?' Cas thought. "Dean!" He yelled even louder.

Dean whispered. "Cas…?" He shivered.

"Dammit, Dean. You're losing body heat faster than your body can create it. You probably have hypothermia."

"Okay, Dr. Sexy." Dean mumbled not opening his eyes.

"Dean, do you know where you are?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know where you are?" Cas asked urgently.

"Umm Earth, several billion years after…" his words trailed off and he slipped back into unconscious.

"Dean!" Cas shook him again but to no avail. He cumbersomely shifted the emergency blanket, leaned Dean into his aching chest and wrapped him with his arms and covered him with the blanket. Even though he was out of it Dean shivered violently. The blood still on Dean's face was staining Cas' white shirt over his heart. When Cas' body stiffened in pain Dean had a reflex to move his still crossed arms behind Cas' back and looping them around his waist. This was more comfortable but Cas' face started to blush.

"Dean? Can you hear me?"

"Mmhmm." Dean gave a positive response.

"Um. This is...I mean to say… You are being very affectionate. Do you realize that?"

"Mmhmm." Dean affirmed. Cas noticed the shivering had stopped but with hypothermia that isn't exactly a good sign.

"Are you still cold?" Cas asked nervously.

"Mmmm, you're warmmm." Dean mumbled.

"Dean...I…I think we should stop." Cas stammered.

"No." Dean said clearly and ever so gently tightened his hold and nuzzled his face into the crook of the angel's neck.

"Oh… Okay." Cas agreed and couldn't deny how lovely this made him feel. Soon enough, Cas leaned putting his back against car door. Then he moved his legs so that they laid on either side of the hunter's freezing body, across the front seat. Dean moved insync and followed Cas' lead into the new position. They laid together, happily wrapped up in the tinfoil blanket with smiles on their faces as they both drifted into a deep sleep.

When Cas started to wake the first thing he heard was a rhythmic beeping chirp. His eyes felt like a magnet was keeping them shut. He could see there was light on the other side of his eyelids coming through them. He needed to see. The beeping noise quickened it's pace and he managed to open his eyes. There was a white ceiling. He was laying on his back, on a bed but Dean wasn't in his arms anymore.

"Dean?" He mumbled not able to move his head around to see.

"Cas!" A voice called back. Within seconds Sam was looking down at him.

"Sam? Where's Dean?" Cas started to gain more consciousness.

"It's okay, he's okay. You're alright. He's right here." Sam motioned behind him where Dean laid unconscious on a hospital bed just a few feet away from them. "Do you know what happened?"

"We…. We were trapped. Buried in the snow." Cas moved a hand to his side that had a strong bandage wrapped around his torso. "How did you find us?"

"So get this, there was a couple that was backpacking on a trail close to where the Impala got buried. They saw the whole thing from about a mile away on the neighboring ridge. They knew where you were buried and everything. They called for help but the rescue team couldn't get to you till the snow storm lightened up, it started right after you crashed. Ranger Willy called me and by the time I got here they had found you and brought you here." Sam looked over his shoulder at the door before whispering. "Cas, why aren't you healing? They examined you and you were all human."

"The witch attacked us with ectoplasm. It drained my grace. I can feel it though. It will take some time but I will recover. What about Dean? Is he alright? His head injury and also I think hypothermia." Cas strained to turn and look. Dean's head was wrapped with bandage and he had IVs in his arms. He looked pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. His lips were slightly parted and his head tilted to one side toward Cas.

"The doctors said he went through a lot. You both did. But he's going to be okay. I asked if they could put you guys in the same room. He's gonna be tired for awhile. Doctors said he would've died if you hadn't," Sam paused to clear his throat. "Shared body heat." Sam grinned.

Cas immediately took his concerned eyes off of Dean and shot his surprised look to Sam. He started to blush high in his cheeks and stammered at what to respond with.

Sam chuckled lightly. "Dude, Cas, I'm kidding. You guys were freezing to death. Listen, I'm really glad you're both okay. Now, would you do me a favor and watch over Dean? I need to go make arrangements to get the Impala dug out of that raveen before he wakes up and panics."

"Of course." Cas calmed down.

Sam left the room and closed the door behind him. Cas rested into his pillow but turned his body comfortably to face Dean. Sam came back a few minutes later when good news that a crew could come out tomorrow for the Impala when Cas thought of something.

"Sam, when you were young. Do you remember taking Dean to a clinic for broken ribs that your father had inflicted?"

"Yeah, definitely. Did… Did Dean tell you about that?" Sam was surprised he would share something so private.

"Yes but he couldn't recall everything. He also said it was the last time your father would beat him. What happened?"

"Well I couldn't come up with a good enough story why I was bringing my half broken brother in without an adult so when they told me that Dean could've died I told them the truth."

"Which was?"

"That our dad was a drunk that kicked him till he stopped moving. They asked for our dad's phone number. Then when he came busting into the clinic, child services took over. I think they took him to a rehab center or something because we didn't see him for several days. They put me and Dean into temporary care but Dean needed to stay at a hospital and I begged then to let me stay with him. They had him on some strong pain meds so I didn't think he'd remember all of that."

"And your father?"

"They let him take us when Dean was better and I remember him hugging us, bawling about how sorry he was. I didn't care how sorry he was. And… And I threatened him that if he ever hurt Dean like that again that I would call child services and they would take us away from him forever."

"Sam, I'm so sorry." Cas' eyebrows swished together again. "No child should suffer like that and be forced to make those decisions."

"It's okay. I'm actually surprised Dean remembered anything about that. He was so drugged, spent most of that week sleeping or watching TV like a zombie."

"You're a zombie." Dean's voice mumbled behind Sam's back.

"Dean!" Sam and Cas both exclaimed.

"How long have you been awake?" Sam asked taking the two steps over to his brother's beside and placed a firm hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Long enough." Dean replied as he took stock of his situation, IVs, monitors, hospital gown and all. "Cas, you alright over there?"

"Yes, Dean. I'm fine." Cas smiled warmly and Dean reciprocated with his own cheesy grin.

"You, uh, back to normal yet?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I think these injuries will be healed by modern medicine before my grace is strong again." Cas informed.

"Well, we'll keep an eye on you till then. Stay with us at the bunker. Kay?" Cas nodded and smiled more. "Sammy, I hurt Baby." Dean voice turned to business. "She needs help."

"I've got a team that's going out, first thing tomorrow."

"Good. Okay. And Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks… For that thing with Dad. I had no idea." He touched Sam's hand that was still on his shoulder and gave it a good manly reassuring slap. "Alright now, go find a hotel and get some sleep. You look beat."

"Speak for yourself!" Sam teased back.

Sam grabbed his coat off a chair and smiled to himself as he left the room. Soon enough a nurse and later a doctor came in to check them both and ask questions. Everything sounded great and depending on some tests and scans later they would be free to go in a few days or maybe sooner. Once they were alone again Dean sat up slowly and got out of his bed. He played with the bed's wheel brakes and pushed his bed so that it was flush with Castiel's. Dean rolled over his monitors and IVs and hopped back into bed scooting close to his angel.

"Dean, what are you doing?"

"Well, it looked like you could use some shared body heat." Dean was acting cheesy again and gestured to his own torso. "I know that I could."

Cas paused at first, shocked at how easily Dean could talk to him like that. "Yes, but…" Cas blushed wildly. "I don't think that's allowed here."

"Shut up Cas, it's fine!" And Dean put his arm behind Cas' neck and down his opposite shoulder while turning on the room's TV. Dean pulled him in closer and Cas found a comfortable way to fit against him. There, they both drifted to a peaceful sleep with the TV softly playing in the background.


End file.
